Cleaning attachment for disk implements.



No. 7|5,9|0. PatentedDec. I6, I902.

w. L. WALTON. CLEANING ATTACHMENT FOR DISK IMPLEMENTS.

(Application filed. May 29, 1902.)

(No Model.)

. eration.

UNITED, STATES I PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM L. WALTON, OF NECHE, NORTH DAKOTA.

CLEANING ATTACHMENT FOR DISK IMPLEMENTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 715,910, dated December16, 1902.

Application filed May 29,1902. Serial No. 109,534. (No model.)

T0 on whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM L. WALTON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Neche, in the county of Pembina and State of North Dakota,have invented a new and useful Cleaning Attachment for Disk Implements,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of seeddrills in which pairs ofdisks mounted revolubly at angles to each other are employed for thepurpose of opening the furrows to receive the seed.

My invention has for its object to provide a means for cleaning the saiddisks which shall be simple, easily applied, and efficient in operation.7

With these ends in View my invention specifically consists in theimproved construction and arrangement of such cleaning device orattachment which will be hereinafter fully described, and particularlypointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side View showing adrill-tube and the portion of a frame of a grain-drill carrying therevolving disks and showing my improved cleaning device attached inposition for op- Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is aperspective view showing the cleaner detached. Fig. 4 is a perspectiveview showing a modified construction of the cleaner. Fig. 5 is a planview showing my invention arranged in connection with a pivotal washerwhich it may be found desirable sometimes to use. Fig. 6 is aperspective view showing the pivotal washer detached. Fig. 7 is an endor edge view of the cleaner shown in perspective in Fig. 3.

Corresponding parts in the several figures are indicated by likecharacters of reference.

My improved cleaning attachment in its simplest form is composed of apiece of steel Wire 1, at one end of which is formed an eye 2 and theouter end of which is flattened to form a blade 3, which is hardened ortempered and ground to a cutting edge 4, which latter is disposedoppositely to the eye 2. The wire 1 is bent at the intersection of theblade 3 with the unflattened portion, which forms a shank 5, whichlatter is possessed of some degree of resiliency.

6 designates a portion of the frame of the seed-drill, and 7 is thedrill-tube, to which and in rear of which are formed lugs 8 8, throughwhich passes a transverse bolt 9, upon the ends of which my improvedcleaning devices are mounted, as shown in Fig. 2, the shanks 5 beingextended downwardly and rearwardly over the rear edge of the segmentalshield 10, which constitutes a portion of the frame, and the blades 3being disposed upon the outer sides of the rotary cutter-disks 11. Thearrangement of the blades 3 with relation to the cutter-disks will bereadily understood by reference to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings,

from which it will be seen that the blades, with their cutting edgefacing in a rearward direction, are extended downwardly and forwardlyfrom the shanks 5, the points of said blades terminating at a pointwhich in practice should be only about two inches from the periphery ofthe cutting-disk 11. When the latter rotates, it will thus be seen thatthe dirt'adhering thereto will be removed by a long sweeping motion,which renders such removal much easier and much more effective than ifthe cutting-blades were arranged radially, or approximately so, withrelation to the disks.

It will be seen that in order to provide for the attachment of thecleaning devices in such a manner that the blades 3 shall not only havethe requisite slope with relation to the disks 11, (which is broughtabout by bending the wire or piece of material of which the device isformed to form the angle 14, as shownclearly in Figs. 1, 4, and 5 of thedrawings,) but also to cause it to liewith its edge fiat against theface of the disk, it becomes necessary to bend the shank portion 5anglingly to the plane occupied by the edge of the blade 3, as will beunderstood by reference to Fig. 7 of the drawings, by reference to whichit will appear that the shank portion 5, which has already been bent atan angle to the blade 3, is further bent out of the plane of said plate.Moreover, the eye 2,

which is formed at the end of the shank 5, is twisted in such a mannerthat its bearing or contact points 15 15 on opposite sides of the axisthereof shall be included in a line drawn through the axis of said eyeand through the center of the cutting edge 4 of the cleaning device.This construction is extremely important, because without it if the nutswere tightened upon the bolt upon which the cleaning devices are mountedan unequal pressure upon the blades of the same would be the result, oneend of the blade being thus left in less rigid contact with the adjacentdisk 11 than the other end of said blade, fine roots and otherobstructions would gradually become wedged under the looser end, and thesuccessful operation of the device thus be interfered with.

In Fig. 4 of the drawings I have shown a modified construction of myimproved cleaner, which consists in attaching to the flattened portion 3a separate tempered blade 17, having the cutting edge. This constructionmay sometimes be found preferable. In other respects the construction ofthe cleaner is identical with that already described.

I have found that sometimes the play of the disks 11 in their bearingswill cause a somewhat uneven pressure upon the blade and cutting edge ofmy improved cleaner or between said blade and cutting edge and the faceof the disk. To obviate the difficulty caused thereby, I have devisedthe pivotal washer illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings, andwhich consists of a metallic washer the two sides of which are connectedby bent portions or bridge-pieces 20, the said opposite sides beingdesignated 21. Each side of the washer is provided with a transverse rib22, projccting outwardly and forming the bearings upon which the washermay have a pivotal or swinging movement with relation to the adjacentclamping or tightening parts. \Vhen a washer of this construction isadjusted upon the connecting-bolt 9, with its sides 21 engaging oppositesides of the eye 2 of the cleaning device, the latter will be permitteda limited pivotal movement, whereby it is enabled to adjust itself toslight changes in the position of the disks 11, resulting from reasonsthat have been above referred to.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawingshereto annexed, the operation and advantages of my invention will bereadily understood.

It will be observed that the points of my improved cleaners are extendedwell in a downward direction. The removal of the dirt adhering to thedisk thus begins soon after the disk leaves the ground in itsprogressive rotation and much of the danger of clogging is avoided. Thedirt adhering to the disk is loosened as soon as it comes in contactwith the point of the cutter and will be gradually and easily detached,the weight of the dirt causing it to drop behind the disk in a positionwhere the operative parts of the device will not be interfered with. Theprovision which I have made for maintaining an even pressure of the edgeof the cleaner upon the face of the disk makes it practically impossiblefor particles of roots and other obstructions to become wedged in thedevice and in terferin g with its operation. All obstructions willeventually slide off at the rear edge of the disk. Whenever it shall bedesired not to use the cleaners, the blades may be simply lifted offfrom contact with the disks, where they are normally held with aconsiderable degree of tension. When thus released, the said cleanersmay be permitted to swing freely behind and between the disks, remainingsupported loosely upon the bolts which engage the eyes of said cleaners.It is evident that when the cleaners are thus disposed there will be aconsiderable reduction in the power required to propel the machine,inasmuch as the frictional contact of said cleaners with the disks isavoided. It is obvious that the cleaners may be restored to operativeposition as easily and as swiftly as they may be released. By myimproved cleaners the adhering dirt is removed before it reaches the topof the frame. Hence there is no danger of its clogging or filling inbetween the top of the frame and the disks, and the power required tolift the adhering dirt to this point is saved.

Other advantages might be mentioned; but they will be readilyapparent toanyone skilled in the art to which my invention appertains and need notbe further enumerated.

I desire to state that while I have described the preferred form orforms of my invention I do not consider myself as limited as regardsdetails, but reserve the privilege of making any such furtherchanges,alterations,or modifications as maysuggest themselves inpractice and which may be resorted to without departing from the spiritof my invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent of the United States- 1. A disk-cleaner consisting of ablade, a shank bent at an angle to said blade and an eye formed uponsaid shank and bent out of the plane of the latter, substantially as setforth.

2. A disk-cleaner consisting of a blade, a shank bent at an anglethereto and further bent so as to lie in a different plane from theblade and its cutting edge, and an eye formed upon said shank and bentout of the plane of the latter, substantially as set forth.

3. A disk-cleaner composed of a blade, a shank bent at an angle to saidblade and further bent so as to lie in a plane different from thecutting edge of the blade, and an eye formed upon said shank and bentuntil the contacting points on opposite sides of its axis shall beincluded in a line drawn through said axis and through the center of thecutting edge of the blade, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of a frame supporting roller-disks, lugs upon saidframe, a bolt extending through said lugs and the disk-cleaners mountedupon said bolt, said cleaners having twisted eyes engaging the bolt andnuts bearing against said twisted eyes to force the blades of saidcleaners with an even pressure against the disks, substantially as setforth.

5. The combination of a frame supporting roller-disks and having lugsformed thereon, a bolt extending through said lugs, the cleaners'comprising blades bearing against the disks, and shanks having eyesengaging the bolt whereby the said cleaners when not required for usemay be disengaged by simply swinging them out of contact with the disks,substantially as set forth.

6. The combination of a frame supporting roller-disks and having1ugs,.a' bolt extending through said lugs and the cleaners comprisingblades, shanks bent at an angle to said blades and further bent out ofthe plane of the blades and their cutting edges, and twisted eyes formedupon the ends of said shanks, the points of contact of said eyes withthe fastening means on opposite sides of the axis of said eyes beingincluded in a line drawn through said axis and through the center of thecutting edges of the blades, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination with a disk-cleaner comprising a shank carrying ablade and having an eye at its opposite end, of a pivotwasher having itssides or halves connected by bridge-pieces whereby said sides are causedto lie on opposite sides of the eye of the cleaner, said sides beingprovided with outwardly-extending ribs or bearings, substantially as setforth.

8. The herein-described washer composed of bridge pieces uniting thesemicircular halves of the washer, said halves being provided withcentrally-disposed outwardly-extending ribs, substantially as set forth.

9. A disk-cleaner comprising a shank having at one end a blade and atthe other end a twisted eye, with the contacting points of the eyedisposed in a line drawn through the axis of said eye and through thecenter of the cutting edge of the blade, in combination with apivot-washer having bridge-pieces whereby the opposite sides of thewasher are adapted to engage opposite sides of the eye of the cleaner,said washer being provided with oppositely-disposed outwardly-extendingribs, a connecting-bolt and clamping means, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM L. WALTON.

' Witnesses:

DONATIEN MALO, WILLIAM ALEXANDER MURPHY.

